Abstract

The research reports a case study conducted to determine whether the application of simplicity as a military principle can assist a geographically dispersed organisation in executing strategy more effectively. An investigation was first conducted into the main reasons why strategy execution is not fully effective in an identified geographical dispersed organisation. A survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted to identify these inhibitors. A comparison with existing literature identified the 4 main requirements to effective strategy execution in this organisation. A review of the application of simplicity in the military context was then completed and a comprehensive secondary assessment, integrated with semi-structured interviews with general staff in the South African Army identified military approaches to simplicity and its impact on execution successes. A conceptual content analysis matched successful military approaches to simplicity with the main drivers of ineffective strategy execution in the organisation. The output was strategy execution inhibitors in the organisation, with matched approaches to simplicity from interviews with military professionals. The compilation of a specific framework for simplification was proposed for strategy execution at all levels within the organisation, with tools and techniques discussed to ensure the simplification of the execution of the strategic objectives.

Key words: Strategy implementation, simplicity, military strategy.